16 ways to save money while eating out at restaurants
I love to eat out. When I was growing up, going to restaurants was seen as a special treat, reserved for birthdays, vacations and other red letter occasions — definitely not a weekly or everyday occurrence like it seems to be these days.
A quick internet search shows that, as Americans, we eat out four or five times a week, spending around $13-$14 per meal. And I read American households spend an average of $3,008 per year dining out. Whoa! Fortunately, there are a lot of easy strategies that can shrink those culinary costs and allow us to enjoy the experience of dining out every now and then.
Here are my best tips for dining out on the cheap:
Many restaurants now have “bar bites” or special happy hour food offerings, along with booze, beer and wine discounts.
You can easily make a meal out of promotional food deals.
2. Join the e-clubs
Sign up for e-clubs at restaurants you are considering patronizing to see what deals they serve to your email. They may offer free appetizer or dessert deals — or a buy one, get one free meal if you are lucky.
Many restaurant companies, like Panera, have birthday offers and loyalty point freebies that you can earn, too.
3. Buy discounted gift cards
Some restaurants occasionally offer bonus gift or reward cards with a minimum purchase of an original gift card at a certain price.
For example, O’Charley’s advertised recently an additional $10 reward card if you bought a $25 gift card.
4. Take the food to go
If you want restaurant food but don’t care about the restaurant experience, consider ordering your mealto go and enjoy it at home, a park or another venue.
That way, you save on the tip and drink and still get to enjoy a special treat.
5. Go for the discounts
Take advantage of discounts that you are entitled to. If you are a senior, eat up the discounts. Some of these senior deals kick in at age 50, so don’t be shy. I say, we seniors might as well get something for being so mature! To find out about senior discounts, check the restaurant websites or call to ask.
Look for other discounts — like military, student, AAA, AARP, etc. — that you can use.
6. Save eating out for special occasions
I have a friend who is in the habit of eating restaurant food almost every meal. Not only can that habit get super expensive, but it takes the “special“out of special occasions. My advice is to go out for a splurge, not as a convenience.
7. Split meals
Portion sizes are often so large that you and your lunch or dinner mate could split an entree.
Some restaurants have a charge for sharing, but most are happy to accommodate you. If you think it won’t be quite enough, order a side dish or salad to add to the mix.
8. Over order
Deliberately order more than you intend to eat, so you have leftovers to take home for a second meal for yourself. There is nothing wrong with dividing tonight’s dinner to save enough for tomorrow’s lunch before you dig in.
I’ve heard of people who go to restaurants with a salad bar, and they eat the salad bar as their dine-in meal and box up the entree to take home.